A BEAUTY influencer from Colorado has shared her secret to saving thousands of dollars on expensive cosmetic services.
From tooth repairs in Thailand to complete hair services in Turkey, Bryn Elise of Boulder is bagging high-quality treatments at a fraction of the cost.
“I’ve been to Turkey to get my hair done three times now, and the price always differs a little due to fluctuations with the Turkish Lira,” the 29-year-old explained.
“Ironically, it has become less expensive each time I go.”
Elise’s passion for finding affordable yet high-quality cosmetic services started early last year.
“I received an email from my US salon informing me that they were raising the prices of the hair extensions I get to a staggering $4,400,” she recalled.
“While I loved my hair stylist, I just couldn’t justify paying that price.”
Determined to find a more budget-friendly option, Elise began browsing Instagram for hair inspiration and discovered a stylist in Turkey named Bilal Karatay, with countless positive reviews.
“I slid into his DMs to get a quote, and to my surprise, he told me he would do my dream hair for just $500,” Elise gushed.
“This offer was too good to pass up, so I booked an appointment at the Ferdi Karatay salon and a flight halfway around the world.”
Of course, traveling 6,217 miles for a hair appointment comes with its own set of challenges.
“The first time I travelled to Turkey, I was a little panicked thinking about all the things that could go wrong and how I would manage the trip’s logistics.
“I calmed myself down by sitting in front of the mirror and telling myself that I just had to trust the process,” Elise said.
“After my first trip — and seeing how smoothly everything went — I felt more relaxed. Now traveling isn’t so stressful anymore.”
Regarding the cost of the flights, Elise revealed a few ways of cutting down travel expenses.
“I’ve found that if you’re flexible with your dates, you can get tickets from the US to Istanbul for around $700.
“And if you’re even more of a boss, you can use points and miles, and then the flights would be free,” she explained.
“Once in Turkey, the costs are surprisingly reasonable. An Airbnb in Turkey for a week is typically $450 a week, and food costs maybe $250 a week, and the restaurants are nice.”
While many of her TikTok fans have applauded Elise for finding a cost-effective way to get salon-quality treatments, some expressed skepticism in her comment section, pointing out that she wasn’t accounting for the ongoing maintenance costs of hair extensions.
Typically, hair extensions must be removed or replaced every three to four months due to hair growth, requiring regular salon visits.
This means Elise would need to travel to Turkey three times a year, bringing the annual cost to approximately $5,250.
Still, Elise insisted it remains significantly cheaper than the $13,350 she would spend annually at a US salon.
“I’ve never been disappointed with the end results. My hair always looks great after I have it done in Turkey.
“I usually have 300 pieces of 22-inch keratin bond extensions with bleaching, toning and styling for a quarter of the price.”
Elise’s beauty tourism isn’t limited to hair appointments. She’s also had most of her dental work done in Thailand and all her tattoos inked in Colombia.
“I flew to Thailand to get two fillings and X-rays for only $92. Dental procedures cost tens of thousands of dollars in the United States, but you can get the same work done in Thailand for a few grand.”
As for her tattoos, Elise explained, “In 2020, long before I started flying to Turkey and Thailand, I fell in love with beauty tourism in Colombia and spent time touring the country with three friends.
“We had said that we’d all get matching tattoos together if we survived the $20 per person highest bungee jump in South America.
“So, after our three months in Colombia were almost up — and having survived the jump — we decided to take home some ‘souvenirs’ we’d actually care about.”
Elise and her friends each got wrist tattoos, which cost just $25 for all four.
“The cool thing about tattoo tourism is there are incredible artists all over the world, and if you travel to places where the cost of living is lower, you can get a piece from a top-tier artist for a fraction of what you would pay in the US,” she recounted.
Elise has continued to expand her collection of tattoos in Colombia.
“One of my most memorable trips to Columbia was spending a month in the jungle,” Elise shared.
“Back when the Titanoboa was king of the rainforest, I was inspired to get a boa tattoo to commemorate the experience.
“My friend Cody decided to start his tropical-themed sleeve with a beautiful design of palm leaves. Each tattoo session lasted about five to six hours, costing us around $150 each.”
Elise’s journey has inspired many of her followers to consider beauty tourism.
“Since I have gotten hundreds of requests, I’m considering putting together group beauty tourism trips.
“It’s not just about saving money; it’s about the entire experience — the adventure, the culture, the new friendships.
“We can explore beautiful places, get pampered, and still come out ahead financially.”
